MARCH 16, 2009 – On March 12, 2009, a Connecticut jury awarded Gail Fortier, the widow of a former Navy firefighter who died from Mesothelioma last year, a $2.59 million verdict last week from Allis-Chalmers Corp. David Fortier was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure, in October 2006. He filed a lawsuit in December of 2006, and died of mesothelioma on June 20, 2008, three months shy of his 60th birthday.

Between 1969 and 2002, Fortier worked on the USS Forrestal aircraft carrier, which was built at Newport News Shipbuilding, a shipyard known to be contaminated with asbestos. According to Fortier’s lawyer, David worked in areas of the ship that were heavily insulated with asbestos products which were manufactured by Allis-Chalmers.

This mesothelioma case is noteworthy because it is the first asbestos-related claim to go to verdict in Connecticut in 20 years. A lawyer for Allis-Chalmers said the company will appeal the verdict.